𝐛𝐥𝐮𝐞, 𝐛𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐝 ✓

thirteen.

have you ever felt like your heart was going to beat out of your chest? like nothing in the world could possibly go right? multiply it times twenty, and that was how kaylani felt walking into the girl meets world season four wrap party. even with chandler by her side, she felt like the world was collapsing in on her. because she wasn't sure what she felt. she wasn't even sure why she was there.

"kay, calm down, it's just a cast, like ours," chandler stated, watching the brunette's hands shake. she laughed under her breath, turning to look at him.

"shut up, chan, this is different and you know it." her voice was calm, but he had been around her enough to tell that the sarcastic bite was full of nerves.

"because you like her. and you don't like many people," he deadpanned, raising an eyebrow.

"yes, chandler, because i like her. how is that relevant?"

"because you like her, lan, and that makes you prone to screwing up around her, obviously, especially in front of everyone. which is why i'm here."

"to stop me from being dumb?" kaylani chuckled, looking up at him as he brushed his hair from his eyes.

"exactly, yes." he rolled his eyes, taking hold of her shoulders to move her out of the way of a couple.

"thanks, loser."

"it's what I'm here for." the boy's eyes lit up as he spotted rowan nearing them, a smirk on his lips. when they got closer to her, he said, "I'm gonna go get us drinks, bye!" before shoving kaylani toward her 'not crush'.

"chandl- hi, rowan! it's, uh, nice to see you." internally, kaylani was facepalming, because how dumb could she be to say that? 'nice to see you?' she might as well have been digging a hole for herself to sit in.

"hey, kay! you didn't bring chandler?" rowan was a bit shocked, she had to admit- the two co-stars seemed inseparable, especially after chandler and his girlfriend broke up. if he wasn't here, she wondered where he was.

"I brought him, yeah. he said 'i'm going to get drinks!' and ran away after shoving me here, which in hindsight I shouldn't have said... out... loud..." the older girl blushed, uncomfortable with how hard it was for her to speak to rowan.

"it's fine, I don't blame him. oh, you can come meet sabrina and corey!" the young girl's eyes lit up as she grabbed kaylani's hand, dragging the other girl toward a crowd of people. kaylani bit her lip and nodded, letting herself be pulled even as the anxiety grew in her stomach.

"what about peyton?" she asked, making the other girl laugh.

"you mean, fit-tea, our favourite white bread hero? he's around here somewhere, if he's not pining after brina then he's with his girlfriend."

"girlfriend?" kaylani began, but rowan pulling her into a group of people cut her off. she inched closer to the girl despite the circle moving to absorb them both. rowan laughed, a small smile on her lips as she tapped sabrina's shoulder.

"sabby, this is kaylani! kay, this is sabrina." the brunette grinned, watching as the blonde's face lit up upon meeting her best friend's crush. she flew forward, hugging kaylani tightly.

"it's so nice to finally meet you! look at you, you're so cute! row, aw!" she stepped back, holding onto kaylani's shoulders. "i've heard so much about you, really."

"only good things, I hope." the seventeen year old grinned at the other one, making sabrina chuckle.

"rowan can't say one bad thing about you. in fact-"

"okay, sabby, you should go find peyton or amir because they're your friends and you haven't seen them tonight. kay, come meet corey." rowan rushed kaylani to the other side of the circle, her eyes full of fear and her cheeks pink with embarrassment. sabrina just winked at her as they stepped away, making kissy noises.

"the kaylani foster! i'm shaken a bit. hi, i'm corey fogelmanis, you probably knew that, but I really love enid, yup." the boy rambled before she was even close enough to shake his hand, and it made kaylani giggle. why was he nervous? she was at his wrap party, after all.

"kaylani foster. and while i'm internally screaming, i'm really uncomfortable in this crowd, so can we shift away from it?"

corey nodded at her request, the two and rowan shifting to make space between them and the circle of a-listers. kaylani subconsciously searched for chandler once they did, eyes roaming the crowd in hopes of finding her best friend.

"kay, are you alright?" rowan asked, settling a hand on her shoulder. kaylani jumped, flashing a smile at both rowan and corey.

"i'm fine. looking for chandler, that's all," she replied, laughing under her breath. corey raised an eyebrow, watching the two girls interact. they liked each other, but that wasn't what caught him.

"you and chandler are inseparable, huh? I swear you're more attached than your characters," he intervened, making both girls look at him. the older one smiled, nodding at his words.

"he's my best friend, has been since I joined the show. we automatically clicked. we've been through a lot together, and no, it isn't awkward to kiss him because i'm gay and he's single." the three laughed, but corey soon turned his attention to amir in the background.

"okay, i'll leave you two alone. it was really nice to meet you, kay."

"you too, corey," she replied, fixating on rowan as soon as he left. the younger girl tilted her head as soon as she noticed, taking a sip of her drink.

"what, kay?" she asked, chuckling.

"nothing, you're just really pretty."

"oh." rowan blushed, a wide smile on her lips. "the same goes for you."

"if we were texting, I would send a million heart emojis right now, but..." kaylani trailed off, making rowan giggle, a smirk settling on her lips.

"a million, huh? that would take a while."

"oh, hush," kay replied, eyes lighting up more when chandler came into view. rowan raised an eyebrow, watching the shift.

"are you sure you don't like him?" she mused, making a bitter laugh come from the other girl.

"pretty sure i'm still gay," kaylani replied, silently adding 'and secretly falling for you' in her head.

"that's good to hear," rowan responded, blushing as soon as she comprehended her words. kaylani blushed darker, shaking her head.

"uh, do you want to go take photos in the picture booth? start the night off right?" she asked, taking the conversation to a different route. rowan smiled, nodding.

"yeah, I would like that a lot. let's go."

and with that, she laced their fingers together, an infinity in the room beyond them.

--
thank you guys so much for 378 reads, that's so many already!!! <3<3

also dedicated to @-angryfeminist bc I'm a lovesick bean who is accurately kay in this chapter <3